Page 32 | New employee is a fake, where to go from here?

londonnotlangdon · 2022-04-28T05:56:42+00:00

It's a large organisation and I just had to send off her paperwork, passport, things like that She was given the job after her second interview last week. However, she has emailed me these documents (fine), and her birth certificate says born in September 2002? That makes her 19? This is a problem because, for example, her CV says she was an Executive Assistant to a Director in 2018? When she would've been in school?! I've asked HR, who haven't replied properly, I've asked them to call. But someone replied to my email of concern with 'so you don't want this new me ever of staff? Why not?' What can actually be done about this?

Jmaho · 28/04/2022 21:47

TheOldRazzleDazzle · 28/04/2022 21:32

The credulity of many posters is astounding. The op is not nearly as fascinating as the many, many posts from people who believe bluechips are hiring kids in their early teens as executive PAs, think blagging your way through an interview is the same as having what it takes to do the job and and don’t see lying as a biggie.

The ‘give her a go!’ posts are especially naive. You have an hour or so at most to interview a candidate you’ve likely never met before. Not only do you have to take on trust what they’re telling you (a brilliant answer to a skills question might mean great skills, and equally might just mean they know what they ought to do in a given situation), but previous experience IS what makes a candidate appealing very often. If someone says they’ve worked at a peer company doing a similar role to what’s on offer for five years, for example, then that’s very attractive. If that turns out to be a pack of lies, you reevaluate everything. In every single interview I’ve had post-entry level the interviewers have wanted me to walk them through my professional history, explain how my role fit into the wider organisation, etc. Not sure why so many posters think the ability to do the job is entirely divorced from actual professional experience.

Madness isn't it? I've been reading this thread all day and even on page 31 people are still winding me up with their comments.
Imagine a huge well known company advertising for an Exec Assistant and giving the job to (in this case) a 13 year old who was still in school!
And the most recent posts insisting that you can easily drop out of school at 15 with no comeback. Maybe so but in this case that lady in question took her GCSE's and stated she didn't continue in further education. It's only the fact that she had to supply proof of ID which confirms her correct DOB that messed it up for her
There's no age discrimination going on here, no GDPR breaches. Just downright fraud and a CV where the majority of it is fabricated
As far as I can see the candidate interviewed well, seemed far older than her years but it turns out she's only 19
Thetefore there is no way on God's earth she held positions with such companies from the age of 13!!!
As for taking her on anyway and admiring her balliness as one people said, well I give up. Honestly give me strength. I don't know whether people are deliberately on the wind up, utterly stupid or just haven't read the whole thread
And there's me not applying for jobs that in reality I could probably do very well as I don't meet one or more of the essential criteria! This is with a fully traceable, referencable history since I left school many moons ago! Some people appear to have blagged their whole careers
Mind you I'd probably apply for something and they'd take on a 13 year old part time instead!

Aussiegirl123456 · 28/04/2022 21:56

Well that was extremely entertaining! Thanks 🙏
Bit gutted (on a personal level as would have loved to read more) that she withdrew. It is for the best though.

My bet, she is 19 and who her ID says she is. Lied on CV/resume and the reference was an email address she purchased specifically for that ‘reference’ so she could respond to the reference request. So many people provide fake references now they are usually only checked via email. I always google the company’s usual email address and see if the format matches up. If not, then I call their HR for further clarification and conformation. No personal email addresses are acceptable (eg gmail ones). A lot of candidates purchase email addresses for this purpose.

GCSEs, I’m not in the uk anymore so wasn’t even aware they changed, but she could have potentially sat them early? I did maths, German, French and English when I was 13 and the rest (5 more) at 14. That would explain why she was graded with A-C instead of numbers. I’m guessing she did work due to her coming across as mature and answering questions well, but not for those companies.

Just loved some of those really out there replies on here! Witness protection. Credible CV. Give her a go. Fake ID. Eeeek loved this thread! I need to get out more!

TheHatinaCat · 28/04/2022 22:06

Jmaho · 28/04/2022 21:47

Madness isn't it? I've been reading this thread all day and even on page 31 people are still winding me up with their comments.
Imagine a huge well known company advertising for an Exec Assistant and giving the job to (in this case) a 13 year old who was still in school!
And the most recent posts insisting that you can easily drop out of school at 15 with no comeback. Maybe so but in this case that lady in question took her GCSE's and stated she didn't continue in further education. It's only the fact that she had to supply proof of ID which confirms her correct DOB that messed it up for her
There's no age discrimination going on here, no GDPR breaches. Just downright fraud and a CV where the majority of it is fabricated
As far as I can see the candidate interviewed well, seemed far older than her years but it turns out she's only 19
Thetefore there is no way on God's earth she held positions with such companies from the age of 13!!!
As for taking her on anyway and admiring her balliness as one people said, well I give up. Honestly give me strength. I don't know whether people are deliberately on the wind up, utterly stupid or just haven't read the whole thread
And there's me not applying for jobs that in reality I could probably do very well as I don't meet one or more of the essential criteria! This is with a fully traceable, referencable history since I left school many moons ago! Some people appear to have blagged their whole careers
Mind you I'd probably apply for something and they'd take on a 13 year old part time instead!

Show quote history

I couldn't agree more!

Luculentus · 28/04/2022 22:15

HerbieFullyLoaded · 28/04/2022 21:30

As long as she's doing the job right, who cares?

High schoolers can get jobs.
For all you know she did act as the executive assistant. Whether it be as a interning/vocational job or as a part time job/way to garner experience that ended up as a legitimate job.
You better be careful making a stink about something you didn't verify beforehand because it could become an HR issue.

Maybe because taking on someone you have already caught out in a massive lie has some pretty bloody obvious risks?

Plus, of course, the chances of a major company taking on a 13 year old as a full time executive assistant are a bit limited, wouldn't you say?

Laauren · 28/04/2022 22:43

Apologies as I haven't read all of the posts and this may have already been said (I have read OP's posts). I can see this candidate has withdrawn too.
In 2015 the school leaving age was raised to 18 rather than the previous 16. This means that she must have done some other form of education even if it was an apprenticeship. Yes you can work at the age of 16 but have to be doing some form of education alongside it. Still seems unlikely for her to have the higher level jobs she claimed to have.

TurquoiseSwirl · 28/04/2022 23:51

Her mum/aunt/sister or even her has clearly read this thread and knows she couldn’t back up her fake experience with her lies

Cyclemarine · 29/04/2022 01:27

HikingforScenery · 28/04/2022 07:13

Now yabvvu.

What does looks British mean?!

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Lol, I was wondering what that bit meant too.

Marty13 · 29/04/2022 01:31

I was baffled by the number of people who seemed to think this is about her age. It's not, it's about her dishonesty. I wouldn't want someone like that on my team.

A family member dropped out of uni and went from job to job, easily bored, convinced they were worth more than what they were offered, temperamental, entitled, you name it. I love them, they are dear to my heart, but woe onto whoever hires them. They're good at talking, personable, clever, their CV is also partly made up. I have no doubt they could (and have !) pass an interview easily, and whoever hired them would only realize too late what a mistake they made.

Good save, OP.

RantyAunty · 29/04/2022 01:42

OP isn't much better posting details from her work about an applicant on a public forum and inviting people to comment and gossip.

I wonder if male applicants are scrutinized this hard?

This was for an EA position which is a fairly easy job anyway and you're acting like you were hiring a surgeon or airline pilot.

Fraaahnces · 29/04/2022 02:18

Sounds like your whoever ran the checks in your HR department was torn a new one by their more senior team member as their attention to detail (or mastery of the bleeding obvious) was not in gear that day when fact checking, adding up dates, etc. Suspect Senior HR person did some digging themself and requested to with withdraw her application once it was mentioned several times that CV fraud is a criminal offense, and that your company would be using all of the resources legally available to them to ensure that their staff members have the highest integrity.

She sounds like a psychopath. Bet she ends up a CEO. (Or marrying one.)

Worriedatwork1 · 29/04/2022 05:28

londonnotlangdon · 28/04/2022 10:30

But HR today did seem to agree with me but they don't seem to want to do anything in fear of being seen as discriminatory

Your HR dept are well dodgy if they can turn a blind eye to someone gaining a job on false pretences! I’ve withdrawn offers for much more minor things on an app form

Pyri · 29/04/2022 06:16

RantyAunty · 29/04/2022 01:42

OP isn't much better posting details from her work about an applicant on a public forum and inviting people to comment and gossip.

I wonder if male applicants are scrutinized this hard?

This was for an EA position which is a fairly easy job anyway and you're acting like you were hiring a surgeon or airline pilot.

What do you think an EA does? At my company they’re really highly skilled and are paid upwards of £60k.

DoubleChinWoes2 · 29/04/2022 06:57

Fraaahnces · 29/04/2022 02:18

Sounds like your whoever ran the checks in your HR department was torn a new one by their more senior team member as their attention to detail (or mastery of the bleeding obvious) was not in gear that day when fact checking, adding up dates, etc. Suspect Senior HR person did some digging themself and requested to with withdraw her application once it was mentioned several times that CV fraud is a criminal offense, and that your company would be using all of the resources legally available to them to ensure that their staff members have the highest integrity.

She sounds like a psychopath. Bet she ends up a CEO. (Or marrying one.)

This is the most hilarious comment. Totally made up hyperbole 🤣 honestly.

DoubleChinWoes2 · 29/04/2022 06:57

Fraaahnces · 29/04/2022 02:18

Sounds like your whoever ran the checks in your HR department was torn a new one by their more senior team member as their attention to detail (or mastery of the bleeding obvious) was not in gear that day when fact checking, adding up dates, etc. Suspect Senior HR person did some digging themself and requested to with withdraw her application once it was mentioned several times that CV fraud is a criminal offense, and that your company would be using all of the resources legally available to them to ensure that their staff members have the highest integrity.

She sounds like a psychopath. Bet she ends up a CEO. (Or marrying one.)

This is the most hilarious comment. Totally made up hyperbole 🤣 honestly.

PrinzessinCressida · 29/04/2022 06:58

Some of the responses on this thread display a staggering amount of ignorance. I see people on MN asking for (and trusting) advice on very complex matters - boundary disputes, divorce law, medical matters - and I wonder how many people commenting on those threads are misrepresenting themselves as experts when they don't actually know their arse from their elbow, as has clearly been the case on this thread.

A sobering reminder to us all to approach with care when seeking advice that relies on professional expertise from internet randoms.

@londonnotlangdon lucky escape. I wonder if she saw this thread? It definitely has saved you some hassle. I hope you have another appointable candidate and don't have to start from scratch. Did she think she wouldn't have to submit anything with a date of birth on, or hoped people wouldn't notice? And will she eventually get away with it elsewhere? Or was she undercover and targeting your company for some reason? It's a shame you'll never know.

MRex · 29/04/2022 07:15

Aussiegirl123456 · 28/04/2022 21:56

Well that was extremely entertaining! Thanks 🙏
Bit gutted (on a personal level as would have loved to read more) that she withdrew. It is for the best though.

My bet, she is 19 and who her ID says she is. Lied on CV/resume and the reference was an email address she purchased specifically for that ‘reference’ so she could respond to the reference request. So many people provide fake references now they are usually only checked via email. I always google the company’s usual email address and see if the format matches up. If not, then I call their HR for further clarification and conformation. No personal email addresses are acceptable (eg gmail ones). A lot of candidates purchase email addresses for this purpose.

GCSEs, I’m not in the uk anymore so wasn’t even aware they changed, but she could have potentially sat them early? I did maths, German, French and English when I was 13 and the rest (5 more) at 14. That would explain why she was graded with A-C instead of numbers. I’m guessing she did work due to her coming across as mature and answering questions well, but not for those companies.

Just loved some of those really out there replies on here! Witness protection. Credible CV. Give her a go. Fake ID. Eeeek loved this thread! I need to get out more!

If you meet some of the essential criteria, please apply. It is fairly common that there need to be some compromises on the ideal list, but that can be made up for by being brilliant in other areas.

MRex · 29/04/2022 07:17

Sorry, was trying to quote Jmaho there and messed it up.

simplesooze · 29/04/2022 07:27

Well, what does her passport say?

SoupDragon · 29/04/2022 07:32

simplesooze · 29/04/2022 07:27

Well, what does her passport say?

If you'd read the thread, or even just the OP's posts, you would know.

ProfessorSlocombe · 29/04/2022 07:58

If you don't do the drug test, you don't get employed. Anyone working for the site (for the main or any tier contractor) can be called for them, at any time. Anyone theoretically can be called to site and has to be known to be drug free. It's absolutely standard in construction, you could do serious damage, including death, to yourself & others by not being in full control. Like falling down a half constructed liftshaft.

Unless everyone is tested everytime they enter the construction site it's all a bit of theatre really, isn't it. For example if they were serious (they're not) they'd breathalyse everyone as they entered.

So the reality is they try to exclude some people who may or may not have taken some "drugs" and dress it up as "safety".

If you wanted to test for dangerous substances that risk peoples lives in building projects, then the board should be tested daily for greed and maybe we'd not have had Grenfell.

Xenia · 29/04/2022 08:11

The main issue is to check if people are lying, double check what they say etc not just to ensure you don't hire a liar, but to protect the company and comply with the law. Anyway it appear she has withdrawn her application which presumably means she was a liar and was caught out. Hopefully that will deter others from doing the same.

HR has a constant battle in many companies dealing with liars and checking out their supposed qualifications and experience. As for drugs taking it is pretty routine in lots of jobs.

BarbaraofSeville · 29/04/2022 08:16

I don't understand why anyone would try to argue against drug (or alcohol) testing at work.

Many employers have a random drug testing policy and it's not just overtly safety critical roles like pilots where the employer would prefer it's employees not to be under the influence.

Workplaces like construction sites and large industrial complexes can have a comparatively high rate of serious accidents and even fatalities and the nature of the sites mean that management can't keep a close eye on all their employees all the time, but at the same time are legally responsible for their safety.

So it's understandable that they do what they can to reduce the risk of someone being drunk or drugged at work, because if there's an accident, HSE wouldn't be impressed if they've apparently happily allowed a scaffolder high on drugs to fall to his death.

tomatoandherbs · 29/04/2022 08:56

Many employers have a random drug testing policy

they don’t
please name a couple

Dizzywizz · 29/04/2022 09:06

tomatoandherbs · 29/04/2022 08:56

Many employers have a random drug testing policy

they don’t
please name a couple

My company does (a utility company) although I haven’t heard of anyone being tested…perhaps people who work on site are

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 29/04/2022 09:07

tomatoandherbs · 29/04/2022 08:56

Many employers have a random drug testing policy

they don’t
please name a couple

BarbaraofSeville already named where it's common to have drug testing- railway/ tubes/ pilots/ construction. It's really standard.